25
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

To Father Juan, with Love, Bishop Alexander: Juan Gil de Zamora's Medieval Art of Letters

Pages 103-120 | Published online: 19 Nov 2009
 

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to bring to light a previously untranslated Latin medieval rhetorical treatise from Castile-Juan Gil de Zamora's letter-writing manual Dictaminis Epithalamium, or The Marriage Song of Letter-Writing (c1277). Juan Gil (c1240-c1318) was among the first writers in Castile and Le�n to compose a rhetorical treatise on the technical elements of composition. In this essay I outline the theoretical and technical elements of Juan Gil's ars dictaminis-the salutation, narration, petition, and conclusion. To illustrate his precepts for letter-writing, I invent a letter using the technical rules he provides. I conclude by developing a theory of rhetoric for Juan Gil, focusing on how he conceives of the traditional canons of invention, arrangement, and style.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.